Opening a property tax bill should not create a second job: checking the city’s arithmetic, comparing records and figuring out whom to call. Yet San Diego’s trash-fee billing errors have given thousands of residents reason to question a charge they should have been able to trust.
The city has begun correcting the problem. In a Sept. 24 update, officials said corrected billing data had been sent to the county the previous day, with revised property tax statements to follow. Approximately 87,000 customers were affected, some charged too much and others too little. The city said affected customers need not take action now and would be contacted directly.
That is welcome progress. The test is whether every affected household receives an accurate bill and a clear explanation, including residents who never complain…